NOVEL NEXT Chapter 279: Understanding?
Chapter 279: Understanding?
“Son-in-law, you should use this Origin Tracing Light first. If we manage to obtain more in the future, then it will be my turn.”
Ye Rushang knew that Xu Lian had primarily secured this Origin Tracing Light on his own, and his own contribution was minimal. Although they had agreed to partner up beforehand, and despite their relationship as father-in-law and son-in-law, Xu Lian would never let him use it first. Therefore, Ye Rushang decided to be generous, hoping to win Xu Lian’s goodwill.
“Alright.”
Xu Lian had never intended to share it in the first place.
“This Origin Tracing Light has just appeared. It will probably take some time before the next one appears. I’ve been guarding Wuguang City for 7 to 8 years now, and I’m starting to miss home. I plan to go back and visit my family.”
Ye Rushang nodded, “Go ahead. I also plan to leave Wuguang City for a while. If those who failed to obtain the Origin Tracing Light decide to vent their anger on me, it won’t end well. I need to lay low for a while.”
The older ginger is indeed spicier… Xu Lian and Ye Rushang agreed on a time to return to Wuguang City, and without further ado, Xu Lian leaped through space, returning to the ancestral lands of the divine race.
The mist was thick, and as Xu Lian watched the young boys and girls practicing under the guidance of the figure in the painting, he felt a sense of disorientation. 7 to 8 years had passed, and the children had grown up. What were once toddlers had become teenagers.
This made him think. The higher one’s cultivation level, the faster time seemed to pass. In order to obtain a single Origin Tracing Light, he had spent 7 to 8 years.
“Father!”
“Father is back!”
When the teenagers saw Xu Lian’s return, they all rushed over.
Some of the more outgoing ones pushed their way to the front.
Others, who were more reserved, stayed on the sidelines and watched him.
These teenagers had grown up, and their features now bore some resemblance to the women in Xu Lian’s life, making it easier for him to recognize which child belonged to which woman. Even if he couldn’t tell at first glance, a quick scan with his spiritual sense would reveal their bloodline origin.
The Origin Tracing Realm wasn’t just a name. Tracing origins meant just that – tracing back to the source.
“Good, good, good children.”
Xu Lian smiled warmly, reaching out to pat the teenagers’ heads, doing his best to play the role of a loving father. In truth, he felt a twinge of guilt. For the sake of cultivation resources, he had been constantly on the move, spending little time with his family. He had missed much of his children’s growth, and he couldn’t help but feel that he had neglected them.
Seeing Xu Lian chatting and laughing with the children, the women all smiled. A father’s absence during a child’s formative years was far from ideal, but now that he was back, all was well.
Aside from spending time with the children, Xu Lian naturally didn’t neglect the women, making time to accompany each of them.
And so, several months passed in family bliss.
Xu Lian quietly took out ten spirit fruits he had picked from the spirit tree in Pingyang County and gave them to Wang Cuiyun.
At nearly sixty years old, Wang Cuiyun, who had never cultivated and remained an ordinary mortal, had aged considerably.
Although her living conditions had improved and her depleted body had slowly recovered somewhat, allowing her to maintain a decent appearance, the damage had been done. Her life span had been shortened.
Without some form of life extension, she likely wouldn’t live much longer.
“What is this?”
Wang Cuiyun asked curiously.
Xu Lian explained, “These are life extension fruits. Each one can add ten years to your life. Ten of them will give you an extra century of life.”
“Master, you’re so kind! My Xiya didn’t spoil you for nothing.”
Wang Cuiyun’s eyes lit up and she grinned like a blooming flower, snatching the fruits and clutching them tightly to her chest. She glared at Xu Lian, “Do you have any more? Give me some more.”
Typical of her… Xu Lian sighed, “Eating more than ten won’t have any additional effect. Any extra would just be wasted.”
Wang Cuiyun was half-convinced, “Give me one more. After I finish the ten, I’ll try an extra one.”
“…” Xu Lian was annoyed, “I told you, it won’t work. Any extra would be a waste. If you waste one, someone else will miss out. Would I lie to you? If I wanted to deceive you, I wouldn’t have given you the fruits in the first place.”
Wang Cuiyun thought about it and realized that he was right. She quickly apologized, “You’re right, Master.”
“Take one every eight to ten years and don’t tell the others.”
Xu Lian instructed.
All of the women had become cultivators. Although their cultivation levels weren’t high, they would naturally live longer than ordinary mortals. To encourage them to cultivate diligently, it was best not to let them know about the life-extending fruits for now. Otherwise, they might slack off, relying on Xu Lian to provide them with life-extending resources.
Let them first strive on their own, extending their lifespan as much as they could through cultivation. Only when they reached their limits and could no longer progress would Xu Lian provide them with spirit fruits or other life-extending resources.
Wang Cuiyun grinned from ear to ear, “I understand, I understand. I know how good you are to me. My Xiya is your true wife. Those other women are just for fun, so of course there’s a difference.”
She did not understand anything… Xu Lian was speechless and didn’t want to talk any further.
When Xu Lian finally had some free time, the girl in the painting spoke up, “The children have good cultivation talent, and their progress is rapid. However, their cultivation resources are starting to fall short.”
Xu Lian nodded, “Alright, I’ll head to the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands soon… to ‘stock up.'”
The girl in the painting advised, “Right now, the children’s cultivation levels aren’t high, so the quality of the resources they need isn’t too demanding. Spirit Stones can cover their needs, and it’s relatively easy to obtain them. But in the future, when their cultivation level rises, they’ll need controlled resources, which will be much harder to obtain.
You should have your children join the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands as disciples. That way, they can get resources from the Sacred Lands and also benefit from the guidance of our divine race. It’s the best of both worlds.
Besides, the children have been living in seclusion for too long. They need to interact with the outside world. Cultivation requires insight, and they can’t spend their whole lives cultivating behind closed doors.”
Xu Lian thought about it and agreed.
Thus, he immediately took the children and leaped through space to the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands, directly enrolling them as disciples.
The registrar smiled warmly, “The Holy Son of the Nine Heavens is truly blessed with so many children.”
Xu Lian asked, “There won’t be any issues with my children becoming disciples of the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands, right?”
The registrar laughed, “Of course not! You are the Holy Son of the Nine Heavens. It’s only natural for your children to become disciples of the Sacred Lands. Besides, the Goddess of Time and the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands are as close as family. There’s no need to distinguish between us.”
Xu Lian didn’t push any further.
After completing the registration, he took the children to visit Elder Cheng Pu, the Heavenly Mystic Holy Lord, the elders of the Law Enforcement Hall, the Sequence Hall, and some senior disciples he knew, asking them to look after his children in the future.
Everyone readily agreed, knowing that Xu Lian was now a top expert in the Origin Tracing Realm with an immeasurable future. Establishing a good relationship with him was undoubtedly the right thing to do.
To make it easier for the children to travel between the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands and the ancestral lands of the divine race, Xu Lian created a spatial passage specifically for them. With his current level of cultivation, he had the ability to do so.
Of course, this passage was only accessible to his children, requiring his bloodline authentication to use it. This was to prevent others from infiltrating the ancestral lands.
It was just a precaution. In reality, infiltrating the ancestral lands of the divine race was tantamount to suicide, especially in the presence of the Goddess of Time.
The children were thrilled. They could now make new friends and explore the outside world.
However, Xu Lian was still a bit worried. Using the immortal techniques from the Sacred Spirit Record, he placed a protective seal on each child to prevent any mishaps.
He was beginning to understand the challenges of being a father. He wanted his children to grow up quickly, but he also feared that they might suffer setbacks. It was a bittersweet feeling.
After ensuring the children were settled, Xu Lian headed to the Elder Hall.
Naturally, he was there to apply for the Origin Tracing Light.
Although he knew that the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands would eventually provide him with a hundred Origin Tracing Lights, he hoped to receive them sooner in order to advance his cultivation.
He spent a lot of time trying to convince the elders.
The elders patiently explained the difficulties the Sacred Lands faced. With so many elders and past Nine Heavens Holy Sons and Holy Maidens all waiting in line for Origin Tracing Light, there simply wasn’t enough to go around.
In turn, Xu Lian explained his own predicament. Without Origin Tracing Light, his cultivation had stagnated, and he was being overtaken by his peers. As the most talented Nine Heavens Holy Son in history, this was unacceptable.
After much back and forth, Xu Lian asked for four Origin Tracing Lights.
This was the minimum he needed. Otherwise, he threatened to camp out in the Elder Hall!
Previously, he had received ten Origin Tracing Lights. From the first stage to the third stage of Origin Tracing, he had used seven, leaving him with three. Adding the one he had obtained from Wuguang City, he now had four.
To advance to the fourth stage of Origin Tracing, he needed eight Origin Tracing Lights.
Thus, he absolutely needed to apply for four more in order to reach the Fourth Stage.
The elders, worn down by his persistence, finally agreed to grant him four Origin Tracing Lights. After all, his priority was high, and they couldn’t be too strict.
With the four Origin Tracing Lights in his hands, Xu Lian left the Elder Hall satisfied.
Upon returning to the ancestral lands of the divine race, he immediately began his advancement.
[Rank advancement successful. Adding eight Origin Tracing Lights allows progression to Origin Tracing Realm Fourth Stage.]
[Adding resources, successful advancement.]
Feeling the increase in his cultivation, Xu Lian smiled with satisfaction. Although gathering Origin Tracing Light was difficult, every step forward was crucial.
[Name: Xu Lian]
[Rank: Origin Tracing Realm Fourth Layer]
[Skills: Nine Elements Escape Techniques, Four Symbols Battle Tactics, Great Desolate Dragon Grasping Technique, Sacred Spirit Record (Immortal Techniques Supplement), Breaking Wind Sword Technique (Volumes 1-3)…]
[Items: Skull (Immortal Bone), Left Hand Bone (Divine Bone), Sword of Destruction (Not Equipped)]
[Note: You currently have 38 progression points available for use].
7 to 8 years had passed, and he had used two progression points. Why had his progression points increased by two?
It was because Ye Beining’s sister, Ye Qingyu, had provided him with progression points. With a favorability of 90, 91, and 92, and having a child with her, she had contributed four progression points.
“I can’t use them all. There are simply too many.”
Xu Lian no longer paid much attention to the progression points. He had more than he could use. His focus was entirely on gathering resources.